Funny yet realistic: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl

by Rainbow Rowell

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Release Date: September 10, 2013

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Source: Bought/Own Copy

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Author's Website

Synopsis:   

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

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Review: 

You know there are some books that once you see the title, you already know it’s a must-read. Well, I consider Fangirl as one of those books. Why? Because, if you don’t know yet, I am a fangirl, and if there’s a book out there that I sure can relate to, I’m sure it would be this book.

And it surely was. 

Cath is what most people call a fangirl. She loves The Simon Snow series to death. She has read it, watched it, collected things about it, and she even writes about it in this page called Fanfixx. And for her, being with her dad and sister, Wren, is enough. Then the unexpected happened. Wren decided that they’ll have to go meet other people, leaving Cath clueless on what to do....

“Look at you. You've got your shit together, you're not scared of anything. I'm scared of everything. And I'm crazy. Like maybe you think I'm a little crazy, but I only ever let people see the tip of my crazy iceberg. Underneath this veneer of slightly crazy and mildly socially retarded, I'm a complete disaster.”

Cath’s probably one of the most relatable characters ever. I knew from the beginning that she would be easy to relate, but I never expected it to be that easy. I must admit, she was a bit of an awkward character at first, but as the story progressed, I started liking her more and more. It was as if she grew on me. She can be very funny and geeky at the same time. There were times when she was stubborn, but,  surprisingly, I didn't find her annoying at all. With the help of her clever tongue and witty mind, I found myself enjoying the story more. 

On the other hand, there is Levi. Oh sweet Levi! I abso-freaking-lutely loved everything about Levi. I loved him from beginning until the end. I want to praise Rainbow Rowell for making Levi nothing like those usual contemporary guys–6 pack abs, oozes sex, etc. He is perfectly flawed to the point it made him perfect. He's the exact opposite of Cath, because, unlike her, Levi is outgoing, friendly and very optimistic. It is very impossible not to fall for him, considering the fact that he's like a ball of sunshine, always there to light you up. 

“You’re never going to find a guy who’s exactly like you—first of all, because that guy never leaves his dorm room.…”

Though Cath and Levi may be very different, they fit each other like it’s the most natural thing in the world. They were just so delightful to watch together! Don’t get me wrong, their relationship wasn’t insta-love. They started out as friends which slowly evolved into something more. To be honest, I actually had no idea that Levi will be Cath’s romantic interest, probably because of Cath’s relationship with Nick, her writing partner. I thought they were just going to be friends, but as Cath and Levi started spending more time together, I slowly realized that Cath has more chemistry with Levi than with Nick. I loved the way Levi handled Cath throughout their relationship, he annoyed Cath at times, but I'm pretty sure Cath enjoyed it. I also loved how their first kiss happened which is one of the most adorable moments in this book. It wasn't cheesy like how most kisses happens in contemporary books—it had just the right amount of sweetness. And when they started seeing each other—oh my Levi-Cath shipping heart—they were like bunnies with Cath always sitting on Levi’s lap. I swear! No human being is capable of not getting smitten by their relationship.

Just like any other book, Fangirl also has its flaws. I feel like the ending could have been better. I expected more from it, but, sadly, it lacks. Nonetheless,  I still think Fangirl is a must-read. It's humor-packed, yet realistic. It made me smiles in many ways, though it also made me cry because of the reality hidden within it. The characters Rainbow Rowell written were perfect for this type of story, and with the help of her writing style, this book is a page-turner.

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